Aguirre learns from debate back seat

Mayoral candidate and former San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre was in the audience during the second mayoral debate at the Logan Heights Family Health Center, as he wasn't invite to participate.
— Howard Lipin

Mayoral candidate and former San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre was in the audience during the second mayoral debate at the Logan Heights Family Health Center, as he wasn't invite to participate.
— Howard Lipin

As San Diego’s top three mayoral candidates exchanged answers in front of a packed audience in Barrio Logan, Mike Aguirre took notes and picked the brain of one of the people sitting at his table about homelessness, one of the debate’s topics.

“I learned more about homelessness in those few seconds then I have learned the whole time I’ve been involved on the issue,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre, currently running fourth among the field of politicians vying to replace disgraced former Mayor Bob Filner, was not invited to participate the debate, which was put on by the Family Health Centers of San Diego at the Spirit of the Barrio luncheon.

So, the former city attorney said, sitting in the audience was the next best thing.

“I have no hard feelings, I am trying very hard to be someone who turns the other cheek,” Aguirre said about the snub.

Aguirre said he believed City Councilman David Alvarez engineered his exclusion — an allegation Alvarez denied.

“Why don’t you ask the organizers?” Alvarez said. “They asked me to show up, and I came.”

Jennette Lawrence Shay of Family Health Centers said time was limited, and the decision was made to invite the perceived front runners.

Aguirre took time after the debate to state his position on some of the questions the candidates fielded during the 40-minute affair.

When it comes to the controversial Barrio Logan community plan, which was recently approved by a divided council and has prompted the city’s shipyard industry to launch a referendum campaign to overturn it, Aguirre said the city needs to continue to work toward a plan that better addresses business concerns.

“Part of the (Barrio Logan) community is abutting a citywide asset,” he said. “Anything that threatens jobs has to be discussed as part of a larger discussion of the economic security of the region.”

On the inequity of certain city services in poorer neighborhoods, Aguirre pointed to an issue he has long championed: the city’s pension debt.

“Until we get to the bottom of that problem, we won’t have enough money,” he said.